Lawyer's unconditional apology accepted

LAHORE - The Lahore High Court on Tuesday accepted unconditional apology of Mian Liaquat Javed advocate of Faisalabad who slapped a civil judge during court proceedings. The court dropped contempt proceeding against the lawyer accepting his repentance and formal apology with commitment to respect the judge. On Tuesday, Liaquat Ali advocate respondent appeared before the special bench of Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry and Sheikh Azmat Saeed and tendered unconditional apology for his act, which he admitted, was a shameful thing on his part. The lawyer implored the LHC bench that he also made request to the judicial officers at Faisalabad that he might be pardoned for his foolish act and undertook not to repeat the same in the future. On March 25, the LHC bench had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Liaquat Javed advocate in the contempt of court proceedings against him. The respondent advocate told the court that he had been doing practice as lawyer for the last 25 years and he was really ashamed of the incident. He said that he had already tendered his apology to the civil judge and also sought pardon of Allah for this act. Civil Judge Tariq Mehmood was also present in the court, who had already pardoned Liaquat Ali advocate after accepting his apology in the presence of all judicial officers of Faisalabad a day before. District and Sessions Judge (D&SJ) Faisalabad also submitted a report before the LHC bench stating that District Bar Association Faisalabad President SM Iqbal contacted him on phone and requested him to settle down the issue. The bar president informed the D&SJ that Liaquat Javed, the respondent, was ready to tender his unconditional apology before all the judges of Faisalabad. Accordingly on Monday all judicial officers assembled in the conference room of the sessions court including District Bar Faisalabad President, General Secretary, and other senior members of the bar. All of them requested judges especially civil judge Tariq Mehmood Kahut to forgive Liaquat Javed advocate on his unjustified act. The report of the D&SJ Faisalabad also stated that he (D&SJ) resolved the issue by accepting unconditional apology of the respondent lawyer and member of the bar and it was agreed that no such incident would take place in the future from lawyers side. Justice Ijaz Ahmed in his remarks said that the client was not a chum of any lawyer and hence Liaquat advocate should not have done such unlawful thing for the sake of his client. The judge said bench and bar were linked together and if judges were respected the bench would work in better way for provision of justice. The judge said if any body had got some complaint against any judge (judicial officer) there was a department of MIT in the LHC where all such complaints could be filed in lawful way. The judge stressed institutions should be respected. With these remarks, the LHC bench accepted the apology from the lawyer and dropped proceedings against him, recalling arrest warrant of the respondent lawyer and disposed of the contempt petitions.